Stretchable gore shoe and method of making the same



Sept. 26, 1967 SNEIDER 3,343,282

STRETCHABLE GORE SHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE] SAME Filed April 6, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gr w A 77'0/P/VEYS Sept. 26, 1967 B. SNEIDER 3,343,232 STRETCHABLE GORE SHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Apnil '6, 1965 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,343,282 STRETCHABLE GORE SHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Benjamin Sneider, 56 Colborne Road, Brighton, Mass. 02135 Filed Apr. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 445,903 14 Claims. (CI. 3651) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sling-back or open-back, roll-top shoe and a method of making the same in which a shoe upper and lining are shaped to form a band spaced from the shoe bottom and extending around the heel to form a sling-back with the lining and upper stitched together to form a roll-top edge. An elastic gore is stitched to spaced ends of the band with the ends of the gore inserted between and secured to the band ends of the lining and upper. The elastic gore is stitched to the band during manufacture while the band is an integral piece and before it is cut to form the spaced ends.

The present invention relates to stretchable gore shoes and, more particularly, to novel and improved methods of manufacture of stretchable gore shoes and to the resultant shoes which are aesthetically pleasing to the eye and comfortable to the foot of a wearer.

stretchable gores are particularly useful in womens shoes having an open heel. In such shoes, a thin band, made up of a lining and a rolled over upper skin, acts as the back of a shoe, and when a stretchable gore is incorporated, allows for variation in the band size for ease in putting on and taking off the shoe and for snug adjustment of the band size to the foot of an individual wearer.

It has been a problem to provide a stretchable gore in womens shoes. In normal manufacture, all stitching of a shoe upper skin to a quarter lining is done previous to the lasting operation, during which the upper is shaped and stretched. If a stretchable gore is provided in a shoe upper before lasting, the upper normally does not stretch and conform to the shape of the last, since the gore itself stretches. On the other hand, if the stretchable gore is sewn to a shoe upper after a lasting procedure, it is usually sewn on the outside or inside of the upper where it is not aesthetically pleasing, and, if on the inside, can be uncomfortable to the foot of the user.

'It is an important object of this invention to provide a stretchable gore in a shoe in a novel and eificient procedure, resulting in an esthetically pleasing shoe.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method of constructing a rolled top shoe having a stretchable gore mounted between a shoe upper skin and a shoe lining thereof.

According to the invention, a shoe construction is formed comprising a shoe bottom and a shaped shoe upper skin. A lining is attached to the upper with the lining and the upper skin lying in side-by-side relationship,

' preferably with a rolled top seam therebetween. An

elastic, stretchable insert or gore interconnects end portions of a back band made up of the lining and shoe upper skin, with the gore having opposing ends mounted between and attached to end portions of the lining and shoe upper skin. By this construction, it is possible to form an elastic gore sandwiched between the lining and shoe upper skin in an aesthetically pleasing and non-irritating roll top shoe construction.

In the method of this invention, a shoe lining is attached to a corresponding shoe upper skin preferably along a continuous top line. An elastically stretchable insert or gore is preferably attached to a portion of the 3,343,282 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 lining with substantially non-stretchable means, extending coextensive with the insert between ends formed in the upper skin. The shoe upper skin is then folded over on the lining. After this step, a conventional lasting step is used to shape and stretch the shoe upper with its attached lining and insert. After the lasting step, the nonstretchable means is removed between the ends of the upper skin to form a shoe with a discontinuous shoe upper which is elastically stretchable at the insert. Since substantially non-stretchable means are employed during the lasting operation, there is no stretching at the insert during lasting, and proper shape can be given to a shoe in accordance with known procedures. In the preferred method of this invention, the lining forms the non-stretchable means. In alternate embodiments of this invention, a non-stretchable tape or insert can be used in conjunction with the gore or insert to form the nonstretchable means.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description, read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1-6 illustrate steps in the manufacture of a shoe in accordance with this invention;

'FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a completed shoe incorporating the invention; and,

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate alternate steps in alternate embodiments of the method of manufacture of this in vention.

A shoe construction embodying a stretchable gore of this invention is illustrated in FIGURE 7 at 10. In the preferred embodiment, the shoe 10 is a high-heel womens shoe having a bottom 11 and an open back and side formed by a band 12 which is discontinuous about the perimeter of the shoe bottom at ends 13 and 14. Ends 13 and 14 are interconnected by an elastic, stretchable gore or insert 33. As can be seen from the drawing at FIG- URE 7, the stretchable gore 33 is attached to the band 12 at its ends, with the ends of the gore lying intermediate the quarter lining and shoe upper skin of the band 12 with a rolled top formed by a line of stitching, interconnecting the lining and the shoe upper skin about the open top edge of the shoe.

Turning now to the preferred embodiment of the method of this invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, a first step in making a stretchable gore shoe of the type shown in FIG. 7, is illustrated in FIGURE 1. In this step a quarter lining 20 is provided. The quarter lining is made of conventional lining material and may comprise a carded fiber laminated to a textile backing, with or without resin impregnants. Only the band parts of the shoe of FIG- URE 7 are illustrated in the method steps in order to simplify the drawing. The quarter lining and other members of the band extend completely about the periphery of the shoe bottom, with the front portions of the shoe integrally attached thereto. The quarter lining 20 preferably has a downwardly depending tab 23 at the extreme rear portion of the shoe for ease of handling.

As shown in the front view of the quarter lining in FIGURE 1, a reinforcing and backing tape 24 is attached to the inside surface of the quarter lining, extending slightly below the top edge 25 of the lining and completely about the inside of the lining. The reinforcing and backing tape is preferably a textile material, such as a woven nylon, substantially non-stretchable tape, as is known in the art. The backing and reinforcing tape 24 is preferably cemented to the lining by conventional adhesives, although it may be sitched if desired. The purpose of the reinforcing and backing tape is to add dimensional stability to the quarter lining.

In a second step, which may be carried out previous to or simultaneous with the first step, the shoe upper skin 26, having a thin band configuration, as shown in FIG- URE 7, is attached at an upper edge 27 to the upper edge of the lining 25. A binding tape 28 which may comprise a narrow cotton or other textile tape similar to the reinforcing and backing tape 24, preferably is placed over the lining so that the tape 28, upper skin 26 and lining are in side-by-side position, as shown in the rear view at FIGURE 2. The shoe upper skin 26, the lining and tape 28 are preferably sewn together by stitching 29, as is conventional in the art, and the facing or outer side of the shoe upper skin 26 is in surface to surface contact with the lining 20. The term shoe upper skin as used in this application refers to any of the well-known shoe surfacing materials, including leather, artificial leather, plastic and textile materials.

In the third step of this invention, the lining 20 is turned inside out after rolling and cementing the upper skin in the position shown in FIGURE 3. The shoe upper skin 26 is bent over and extends upwardly, substantially in vertical alignment with the upward extension of the lining 20. An adhesive layer is preferably applied at 30 over the surface of the tape 28 to provide a conventional rolled top, as will be described. Steps 13, as illustrated in FIG- URES 1-3 and described above, are conventional and known in the art.

In the fourth step, as illustrated in a front view of a blank formed in accordance with the steps of FIGS. 1-3 at FIG. 4a, a slot 32 is cut from the upstanding upper skin. The width of the slot is equal to the desired width of the space between the discontinuous ends of band 12, as shown in FIG. 7. The slot 32 is preferably formed at the extreme rear end of the upper although it may be cut on the side of the upper.

Preferably in a subsequent step, a stretchable gore 33 is attached to the lining 20 on the outside thereof, as shown in the rear view at FIG. 4b. The gore 33 is preferably attached by vertical lines of stitching 34 and 35 at ends thereof. The gore may comprise any elastically stretchable tape or insert known in the art. The gore material is preferably a woven tape of elastic fibers.

After attachment of the gore 33 to the lining, the shoe upper skin 26 is rolled over the shoe lining with a portion of the shoe upper skin at discontinuous ends 36 and 37 thereof, covering ends of the gore 33. A row of stitching 38 is employed to sew the bottom edge of the shoe upper skin to the lining material, as well as to the ends of the gore. Folding over of the shoe upper skin as shown in FIGURE 5, forms the rolled top 39 with the gore ends sandwiched between the shoe upper skin and shoe lining, as illustrated in FIGURE 5. It should be understood that a portion of the lining 20 lies in side-by-side relationship with the gore 33, and this portion of the lining carries a portion of the continuous reinforcing tape 24.

After completion of the steps shown in FIGURES 1-5, the shoe upper skin, and also the portion 20a lying in form and shape the shoe upper into a desired shaped fitted shoe. During the lasting, lining portion 20a prevents stretching of the elastically stretchable gore 33 and assures proper forming of the upper.

After the conventional lasting step, the lining 20 is trimmed to remove the portion 23 which extends below the shoe upper skin, and also the portion 20a lying in front of the gore 33. As shown in FIGURE 6, the band 12 has discontinuous ends in the final shoe construction, and the gore 33 is attractively attached to the discontinuous portion of the band in a position where it does not irritate the foot of a user.

In alternate embodiments of the method of this invention, a rolled top shoe is formed with an elastically stretchable gore by varying the steps illustrated at FIG. 4a and 4b. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the step illustrated in FIGURE 4a was performed by die cutting the slot 32 to extend Well into the lining 20 as at 32a below the gore 33. In this case, the gore or insert 33 is used in conjunction with a non-stretchable reinforcing backing tape, illustrated in FIGURE 8a at 34a. After formation of the shoe, as described above, and cutting as shown in FIGURE 8, with the use of an elastically stretchable gore and side-by-side non-stretchable tape, the shoe upper skin is treated, as shown in FIGURE 5, to fold over the shoe upper and form a rolled top 39. The resulting shoe upper can be lasted in a conventional manner, and trimmed before or after lasting to remove the lower por tion of the lining, as shown in FIGURE 6. The nonstretchable tape 34a is cut from the elastic gore 33 at the discontinuous portion of the shoe band 12 formed by the slot 32a. In some cases the non-stretchable tape 34a may be adhesively united with the gore 34, although this is not preferred since it is difiicult to remove the central portion thereof by cutting, as described above.

In another alternate embodiment of this invention, illustrated in FIGURE 9, the slot 32 is cut into both the lining and shoe upper, so that opposing ends 50, 51 are formed, as shown in FIGURE 9. The elastically stretchable gore 33 is employed with a non-stretchable backing tape 34a of the type illustrated in FIGURE 8a, and the subsequent method steps of the first embodiment in this invention are again carried out. In this embodiment the shoe is lasted without stretching of the gore 33 due to the non-stretchable nature of the reinforcing tape 34a. After conventional lasting, the tape 34a is cut away to form the completed shoe.

While specific embodiments of this invention have been described and exemplified, it should be understood that many variations thereof are possible. For example, the particular materials used may vary. In some cases it may be desirable to attach the elastically stretchable gore 33 directly to the shoe upper in the step illustrated in FIG. 4b rather than to the lining. This may also be done in the embodiments of the invention illustrated at FIGURES 8 and 9. Such reversal is considered to be the full equivalent of the attachment of the gore to the lining. Therefore, this invention is to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An open back shoe construction comprising a shoe bottom and a shoe upper having a band shaped to form an open back,

a lining attached to said upper, with said lining and upper lying in side-by-side relationship and defining a roll top upper edge,

an elastically stretchable gore, interconnecting spaced portions of said band of said shoe upper,

said gore having opposing ends with each end secured between said lining and said spaced portions of said band of said shoe upper.

2. An open back shoe construction comprising a shoe bottom and a shoe upper,

a lining attached to said upper having a band shaped to form an open back with said lining and upper lying in side-by-side relationship and having a rolled top seam therebetween,

said lining and said upper shaped to form a band spaced from said shoe bottom and having aligned spaced apart ends,

an elastically stretchable gore, extending between said ends, with said gore having gore ends attached to said spaced apart ends between said lining and upper.

3. A method of manufacturing shoes having a stretchable insert, said method comprising,

attaching a shoe lining to a corresponding shoe upper skin substantially along a continuous top line,

attaching an elastically stretchable insert to a portion of said lining with substantially non-stretchable means extending coextensive with said insert,

folding over said shoe upper skin on said lining to form a roll top edge,

lasting said shoe upper skin and said shoe lining,

and thereafter removing said non-stretchable means to form said shoe with a discontinuous shoe upper which is elastically stretchable at said insert.

4. A method in accordance with the method of claim 3 wherein said substantially non-stretchable means comprises an integral portion of said lining positioned adjacent said insert.

5. A method in accordance with the method of claim 3 wherein said substantially non-stretchable means comprises a reinforcing tape positioned adjacent said insert.

6. A method in accordance with the method of claim 3 wherein said stretchable insert is attached between discontinuous ends of said lining along with a reinforcing tape positioned adjacent said insert.

7. A method of manufacturing shoes having a discontinuous band with a stretchable tape insert extending between and elastically connecting ends of the band, said method comprising,

forming said band by attaching a shoe lining to a shoe upper skin substantially along an upper edg of said lining with a facing surface of said lining contacting said lining, attaching an elastically stretchable tape insert to a portion of said lining with substantially non-stretchable means extending coextensive with said tape insert,

folding over said shoe upper skin on said lining With ends of said tape insert lying between said lining and upper skin and forming a roll top edge,

lasting said shoe upper skin and said lining,

and thereafter removing said non-stretchable means to form said shoe with a discontinuous shoe band which is elastically stretchable at said insert.

8. A method in accordance with the method of claim 7 wherein said substantially non-stretchable means comprises an integral portion of said lining positioned adjacent said insert.

9. A method in accordance with the method of claim 7 wherein said substantially non-stretchable means comprises a reinforcing tape positioned adjacent said insert.

10. A method in accordance with the method of claim 7 wherein said stretchable insert is attached between discontinuous ends of said lining along with a reinforcing tape positioned adjacent said insert.

11. In a method of making an open back roll top shoe having a band at the heel of the shoe formed by an upper and an adjacent coextensive lining with a stretchable insert extending between discontinuous ends of the band, the improvement comprising the steps of,

sewing ends of a stretchable tape insert to ends of said band with a non-stretchable means extending coextensive with said insert,

folding over said upper on said lining with said insert ends sandwiched therebetween,

and removing said non-stretchable means.

12. The improvement of claim 11 and further comprising the steps of lasting said folded upper and lining before removing said non-stretchable means.

13. The improvement of claim 12 wherein said tape is sewn to extend over ends of said lining formed by a U- shaped notch.

14. The improvement of claim 11 wherein said nonstretchable means comprises a portion of said lining coextensive with said insert.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 130,929 12/1941 Wood 36-51 X 354,968 l2/1886 Cushing 3651 X 970,444 9/1910 Helbig 36--5l 1,967,914 7/1934 Troy 36-57 1,981,900 11/1934 Brauer et a1. 3657 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN OPEN BACK SHOE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A SHOE BOTTOM AND A SHOE UPPER HAVING A BAND SHAPED TO FORM AN OPEN BACK, A LINING ATTACHED TO SAID UPPER, WITH SAID LINING AND UPPER LYING IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATIONSHIP AND DEFINING A ROLL TOP UPPER EDGE, AN ELASTICALLY STRETCHABLE GORE, INTERCONNECTING SPACED PORTIONS OF SAID BAND OF SAID SHOE UPPER, SAID GORE HAVING OPPOSING ENDS WITH EACH END SECURED BETWEEN SAID LINING AND SAID SPACED PORTIONS OF SAID BAND OF SAID SHOE UPPER. 